Kool & The Gang and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade are a match made in heaven. They are the longest-running R&B group in history. The parade is a cornerstone of the Thanksgiving celebration for countless Americans. So, their performance atop the Bronx Zoo’s Wonderous World of Wildlife float was the perfect combination of tradition and nostalgia.
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Kool & The Gang are no strangers to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. They made their parade debut in 1981. That year, they appeared atop the Lunar Moth float and performed “Celebration” and “Take My Heart” for the cheering crowd. Nearly two decades later, in 1999, they returned to the parade on the Jell-O World of Wiggle float. They once again delivered a memorable performance of “Celebration.” Then, in 2003, the legendary group came back, riding the Animal Planet Amazing Creatures of the Wild float. Fittingly, they performed “Jungle Boogie.”
This year, they stayed with the wildlife theme, gracing the Bronx Zoo float for a performance of “Celebration.”
Kool & The Gang’s Biggest Hit Is Deeper Than You Think
Kool & The Gang wrote “Celebration” and released it as a single from Celebrate in October 1980. In February 1981, the song reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for two weeks. It was their first and only song to reach the top of the all-genre chart.
“Celebration” is seemingly fit for any kind of joyous gathering. However, many may not realize that it has a much deeper and more spiritual meaning. According to Songfacts, saxophonist Ronald Bell, whose Muslim name is Khalis Bayyan, got the idea for the song while reading the Quran. “I was reading the passage where God was creating Adam, and the angels were celebrating and singing praises,” he recalled. “That inspired me to write the basic chords and the line Everyone around the world, come on, let’s celebrate.”
Featured Image by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
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